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The Order of the Verdant Grove
The Order of the Verdant Grove is a loose organization of about one hundred seventy druids and verdant lords who share certain interests and are committed to gaining and disseminating information about nature. The organization doesn't have much of a hierarchy, and the typical member also owes allegiance to some other druid circle in his or her local area. Many druids have heard of the Order of the Verdant Grove, but they often assume it is the name of some regional druid circle. What makes the order different from other organizations is that its members intentionally spread themselves out over the world. A few are just as tied to a single sacred grove or woodland as any other druid or verdant lord would be, but most are travelers. They may be active adventurers out to address wrongs in the world or scholars in search of information that they can share with fellow members. In this sense, the Order of the Verdant Grove is the closest thing druids have to a ring of spies. Of course, most of the information that its members acquire and disseminate within the organization would bore a typical spy to tears. They share information about their explorations of distant lands, discoveries of new creatures (animals and beasts), and of previously unknown wonders of the natural world. They also share knowledge of new spells and magic items that have come into use. Members of the Order of the Verdant Grove are encouraged to share whatever information they discover, but they are required to report on new druid communities, standing stones, or druid circles that they find. The Order of the Verdant Grove must occasionally act as a messenger service between independent druid circles in times of regional or greater crisis, so it's important for its members to know where the druids of the world can be found. How to join An applicant for membership must be invited and sponsored by a current member, and all available members periodically vote on whether to admit the current applicants. Once accepted, the new member (called an initiate) undergoes a rite of acceptance during which he or she receives a hoop earring bearing a green orb. Not only does this allow members to identify one another, but it is also a pearl of power (1st-level). The initiate is expected to make a donation that covers the cost of creating this talisman. Origins The origins of the order hearken back to a day when a druid circle broke apart following a war against a wizard cabal and its demonic servants. Many members of the original group became verdant lords - perhaps from a desire to form a deeper and more personal bond with nature after being dragged into a fight against outsiders. Thus, they tended to be somewhat reclusive. Now verdant lords have become rare, and they are found only among the older members of the organization. The druids and the verdant lords in the order do not compete - they share too much to become embroiled in petty rivalries. Known Members Idor Nask